Should Star Wars: Episode VII ‘use less CGI’?

From Yahoo

Ever since the original trilogy, 'Star Wars' has led the way when it comes to special effects. Whether it's landspeeders, lightsabers or Death Star trenches, those iconic scenes that we know and love have paved the way for modern visual effects. But in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Mark Hamill revealed that he thinks Episode VII should "use less CGI". And to be honest, I couldn't agree more.

"I said to George that I wanted to go back to the way it was, in the sense that ours was much more carefree and light-hearted and humorous - in my opinion, anyway… I hope they find the right balance of CGI with practical effects."

This has been the problem with Star Wars for a long while - at least since the start of the prequel trilogy. The balance was all wrong and they relied too heavily on ground-breaking new effects. 'Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace' felt more like a tech demo than a film - it pioneered new techniques in the same way that the original trilogy did… but it definitely lacked the character and atmosphere that made the originals so great. And while it looks as though Lucasfilm are trying to rekindle the old magic by bringing back the original stars, is that really enough?

"I love props," Mark Hamill explains. "I love models, miniatures, matte paintings - I'm sort of old school. I think if you go too far in the direction of CGI it winds up looking like just a giant videogame, and that's unfortunate… If they listen to me at all, it'll be, 'Lighten up and go retro with the way it looks.'"

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Star Wars X-Wing bed: You won't find this at IKEA

From Pocket Lint

A dad in America has built his son the coolest custom bed on the planet. And that planet is Dagobah.

Although we don't have any specific details on the recipient, one lucky kid now owns his own X-Wing fighter, which has been constructed as the canopy over his Star Wars-themed bedspread. And he can even sit in it to watch TV, as a flatscreen has been attached to the front, aping the view the pilot would get from the cockpit.

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